To hear village manager Frances Higgins tell it, Chevy Chase Section Five, one of seven small municipalities spanning Maryland and Washington, D.C., isn't much different from many other pieces of American suburbia. Nice homes, friendly neighbors, tree lined streets and an annual summer block party in the middle of town.
The one thing that does make Section Five different: no other town or city in America enjoys a higher median household income (excepting Westlake, Texas, home of the Jonas Brothers and various business bigwigs, which is virtually tied with Chevy Chase Section Five).
The tiny town has enjoyed a rapid ascent. Twelve years ago, the median household income in Section Five, home to 640 people, was estimated by the Census Bureau at just over $150,000. Today the number stands at $250,000. Higgins points to the growing popularity among lawyers, engineers, government officials and high powered lobbyists who do business in D.C.
"I think we have more lawyers per square inch than anyone," Higgins half-jokes.
Another Chevy Chase locale not far behind Section Five: Somerset, Maryland, an incorporated town in Montgomery County that stands as one of Washington's ritziest suburbs. Median income is just over $240,000. Another Dallas enclave makes the cut too: Highland Park town, home to seven figure houses and median household income of $228,106.
We derived America's wealthiest locales from the Census Bureau's latest American Community Survey, released in December 2011, which measures median household income as of the end of 2010. The survey breaks down the country into more than 29,000 cities, towns, villages and what the Census Bureau calls CDPs (Census Designated Place – a small area within a larger town or city with no local government of its own but which otherwise resembles a town). We stuck with those areas where the Census Bureau's reported margin of error falls within its survey-wide margin of error of 29% (if that number seems high, it's because higher error margins in many small villages lift the overall average higher.
The hustle and crowds of places like New York, Dallas and D.C. don't appeal to everyone. But with enough money, your own little escape is right in the neighborhood.
5. Oyster Bay Cove, New York
Median household income: $246,987
Median household income: $246,987
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| Image: Forbes |
Overlooking Long Island Sound on the island's north shore. Theodore Roosevelt, whose nearby Sagamore Hill home served as the summer White House during the early 20th century, is buried in a private cemetery off a local road.
4. Plandome Village, New York
Median household income: $248,036
Median household income: $248,036
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| Image: Forbes |
Historic Long Island village has counted Boomer Esiason, Bill O'Reilly and Bobby Riggs among its residents, which now number about 1,300. The posh Plandome Country Club dates back to 1931.
3. Coldstream CDP, Ohio
Median household income: $249,750
Median household income: $249,750
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| Image: Forbes |
Small, upscale section of Anderson Township in Cincinnati, centered by one of America's most prestigious country clubs.
2. Westlake town, Texas
Median household income: $250,000
Median household income: $250,000
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| Image: Forbes |
Home to 702 people 34 miles northwest of Dallas. The plush town includes homes owned by Texas Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg, former Exxon Mobile CEO Lee Raymond, and the Jonas Brothers.
1. Chevy Chase Section Five village, Maryland
Median household income: $250,000
Median household income: $250,000
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| Image: Forbes |
A very small (one-tenth of a square mile) incorporated village within Chevy Chase. Section Five currently holds 640 people; the median home price is just over a million dollars. Average income is up 63% since 2000.
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